<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Seven Thousand Gold Coins by xxsnailxx</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24199006">Seven Thousand Gold Coins</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxsnailxx/pseuds/xxsnailxx'>xxsnailxx</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Helix Waltz (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Season 2, The Collection of Finsel's Beauty, and an almost-friendship between juven and gonzalo because those two are so cute, referenced favor quests, referenced juven/asteria, references to the juven/biggus ship</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-03 01:42:23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,635</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24199006</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxsnailxx/pseuds/xxsnailxx</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Blackgloves runs a betting pool and the Regent has a theory.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Magda Ellenstein &amp; Juven Sakan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Seven Thousand Gold Coins</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Regent's office's bookshelf is loaded with books, most of which they have never touched. It goes against everything Magda believes in about the proper treatment of books, but these are there solely for decoration. An office, after all, must have a bookshelf, and a bookshelf must have books. So says the Regent('s uncle). Not that he thought so, when they first moved in.</p><p>"No books," he'd said, firmly. "You must never be seen reading a book." All files and documents of any import, according to the Regent, must be kept under lock-and-key, and books must absolutely never be seen, especially not in the office you receive visitors in.</p><p>That stance lasted about three days, until Barris had knocked some sense into him. He'd visited, taken one look at the office, clicked his tongue and dropped his catchphrase ("Guilty."), then turned and left. (But not before also checking Magda's office and letting her know with a single sigh how utterly disappointed he was.) That very afternoon, regal-looking bookshelves were installed in their offices and reception areas, and crates and crates of books were brought in. The 'Barris books', as the Regent later termed them, are thick and dry books about little else but business and law and politics and history. Books, the Regent claims, they're both entirely too young to be reading.</p><p>When Magda points out, "The younger Lady Bavlenka must have read most of this," all he sees fit to grace that with is,</p><p>"That, my lovely Falcon, is why you must never be seen reading a book. It tells anyone who bothers to look exactly what you wish to learn."</p><p>Naturally, despite all his talk about guarding all secrets (and non-secrets, for you never know how much your opponent knows about you) jealously, it doesn't take long for his personal possessions (books included) to start showing up at the office. The books Barbara brings when she visits ("I can't bring them <em> back </em>, that would be unappreciative."), the personal correspondence ("I don't know why they can't send these to my house like they always have. Something about delivering letters to the Regent's office must be more appealing to the servants."), the clothes from every time he'd decide he required a change of clothes ("Wardrobe, and laundry. Add those to the list."), and the most useless trinkets in existence ("These represent the goodwill of the visitors. Find somewhere to display them without making them seem like they're on display.") soon decorate every surface of the office.</p><p>Then, one day, the Regent leaves his seat in a hurry, and Magda enters his office to deliver documents. And there, on his desk, is the manuscript of a book she's heard about, countless times, but never seen: <em> The Collection of Finsel's Beauty </em> by Juven Sakan. They don't sell these in bookstores, so she takes a seat and flips it open.</p><p>The position of Secretary grants her the exclusive right to review and scribble on all his work, so she does. It takes all her strength of will to skip over the page titled <em> Lady Magda Ellenstein </em> . Instead, she promises herself that it would be so much more fun to give live commentary on it, and moves on to other fun things. Comments on the lack of a page about Biggus (an allusion to a certain age-old servant-favourite rumour about the Regent's past indiscretions), adds a page to wax poetic about Lord Gonzalo Jorcastle (it hardly seems fair to include the young Lord Hugh and leave the far more elegant Gonzalo out out of spite, and Gonzalo <em> does </em> have the most notoriously fashionable hair), questions his decision to rank Helena and Heather so far apart (they have vastly different styles of dress by necessity of their lifestyles, but they're <em> identical </em>, and Heather's shyness is no less charming that Helena's seductiveness) and is midway through offering to write a page on Barbara (the poor girl) when the door opens.</p><p>Without looking up, Magda flips back to the <em> Magda </em> page and begins reading.</p><p>She is interrupted within five seconds. "Secretary." If she didn't know better, she'd think he sounds uncertain.</p><p>"My Lord Regent."</p><p>"What are you doing?"</p><p>"Reviewing your work. I'm both amused and offended on Lord Gonzalo's behalf that— hold on. Seven thousand gold coins?"</p><p>"That book is not for your eyes." He has approached the desk cautiously but made no move to retrieve it.</p><p>"My lips aren't worth that much, I eat with them."</p><p>"You shouldn't snoop around in my office."</p><p>"You hired me for this. I didn't think this was a real book. Just something people talk about, it's like—" Magda pauses, raises an eyebrow. "Have you talked to many Sullas before?"</p><p>"My father must have, why?"</p><p>"I'm seeing something of Lord Basim's methods of description: 'in an impressively small amount of time, evolved from an eyas who was adorably awkward to—'"</p><p>The Regent shuts the book. "Have you ever kissed anyone?"</p><p>She pokes fun at his metaphors, but Magda does feel, very keenly, how much she's grown. Every time she dresses for her new job rather than a ball, every time someone defers to her who previously wouldn't have, and every time she meets the Regent's gaze head-on and addresses him boldly, she remembers when she was clumsy and untested, when she had to keep her head low. Good thing acting meek is no longer her job description. "That is a highly inappropriate question, my Lord Regent."</p><p>A grin spreads across his face. "Who was it? A man? It would have to be a bold one, to endeavour to taste Finsel's 7000 gold coins lips."</p><p>"What—"</p><p>"Not a man then; the ones who aren't too clumsy would boast, and those who wouldn't are too chivalrous to go for a kiss before proper courting. And the only ones who are neither are, hm, deeply in love. A woman — Shatina?"</p><p>"What—"</p><p>"No, I guess not."</p><p>"I noticed she's not in <em> The Collection </em>."</p><p>The Regent adopts a look of distinct discomfort. She's seen it, when he has to reject a lady less than kindly. "No, she's, ah, not my type."</p><p>"Like how Biggus isn't 'your type'?"</p><p>"Helena? That one's bold and crafty, hmm…"</p><p>"Funny, I was under the impression that the elegant Lord Gonzalo was everyone's 'type'—"</p><p><em> That </em> didn't go ignored. "No."</p><p>"I did notice you squabble like children."</p><p>"His brother is a bit older, and the rest were still infants, so it was just us, and Lou — you can imagine how that went, I'm sure — for the longest time. When the Lady Vicky showed up she was already mixing alcoholic drinks in an altogether different social circle."</p><p>"You're practically brothers then, that's cute."</p><p>"You heard no such thing from me."</p><p>"But of course, <em> The Collection </em> prides itself on its objectivity, doesn't it?"</p><p>"It prides itself on being <em> the </em> collection of Finsel's beauties, written by the Regent himself. Who said objective? And have you any idea how insufferable that peacock would be if he, but not I, were included in <em> The Collection </em>?"</p><p>"Is it not enough that you're the one with the esteemed opinion?"</p><p>The Regent narrows his eyes. "Someone put you up to this."</p><p>"My Lord Regent, don't be ridiculous. No bribe will turn me against you." Magda treats him to a bland smile at his unwavering suspicion. "In any case," she flips through the first few pages of the book pointedly, "the integrity of this book would be much better maintained if you were to write it all with the same objectivity displayed in the initial pages." She stops flipping, very casually, to stop on the page featuring Asteria, modestly ranked fifth. "Unless you mean to say I'm more 'your type' than," she clears her throat politely, "in which case..." She will, of course, honour her sisterhood with Asteria by snitching and exacting the appropriate retribution on him, goes unspoken.</p><p>As one quickly learns to expect of Juven Sakan, he takes the opportunity to grab her hand (thus removing it from his precious book) and spew the most ridiculous praises, gesturing wildly with his other hand and gazing at the clear sky behind her all the while. "My most beautiful and distinguished Lady Saker, all of Finsel knows your beauty, and I would not be so bold as to claim to be the only man whose heart has not been stolen—"</p><p>"No, no, don't try to distract me with that insincere blather." Magda places her other hand upon the hand that holds hers. When the Regent looks at her, she holds his stare. "Look into my eyes," she says. She doesn't say, '<em> And tell me that you love me </em>.' She doesn't have to.</p><p>(<em> Hook, line, sinker </em> .) She gives him a winning smile. He has to admit <em> The Collection </em> must be written objectively, and include Gonzalo. Or lie through his teeth (but he won't). Victory.</p><p>But then she sees the calculating look in the Regent's eyes. And he leans in, closer, refusing to break eye contact. "Lady Ellenstein," he says, "it is not a lack of attraction towards you that prevents me from claiming those invaluable lips of yours." When he's finished speaking, their noses are nearly touching.</p><p>She raises an eyebrow.</p><p>Grinning like he's already won, he pulls back and withdraws his hands (together, very unsubtly, with the manuscript). "I could never kiss an unwilling lady. It is more accurate to say that <em> I </em> am not <em> your </em> type."</p><p>She raises her other eyebrow. "Lord Regent, not any lady's type?"</p><p>"It pains me to admit it," he lies right through his teeth, "but your pulse and breath did not falter or speed up, at all."</p><p>Outmaneuvered by the Regent, then. She grits her teeth.</p><p>He's still grinning when he asks, "So, who is it? The one who stole your lips?"</p><p>That's when something finally occurs to her. <em> 7000 gold coins. </em> It's an oddly specific value. "Who did you bet on?"</p><p>"Myself, of course."</p><p>"... What?"</p><p>"We can split the gold, between us two and the treasury and whoever it was, to keep them silent. It's a perfect plan."</p><p>"There actually <em> was </em> a bet?"</p><p>The Regent freezes. "Ah." He stands, faux-casually, and goes to keep the manuscript in one of the locked chests. "It was a long time ago, really," he tries. "I barely even remembered until you mentioned the 7000 gold coins."</p><p>"Indeed?"</p>
<hr/><p>It was indeed many months ago, shortly after Juven had announced Lady Ellenstien's inclusion in the next edition of <em> The Collection of Finsel's Beauty </em>, along with its tentative printing date. He was in the tavern, collecting orders and portraits of nominees, talk of the bet began.</p><p>It started when a drunk noble of little consequence announced, at the end of a terrible poetry recitation about the lady's blue eyes, that he would marry her.</p><p>"Don't be ridiculous," Juven had said. "She's slated to be the amongst most popular ladies in Finsel before the half-year, and she's of the perfect age to begin courting." That reminded him that he was, also. So he took a swig from his tankard. "She wouldn't spare <em> you </em> a second glance when there will be a whole hoard of more eligible bachelors vying for her hand."</p><p>The noble heaved a sigh, suddenly a miserable drunk. "You're right, of course. Viscount Sakan has always been wise beyond his years. But if I could only receive a kiss I would die a happy man."</p><p>At that time, Juven had already watched the way the little Eyas captured hearts naturally and almost obliviously, and he wondered. "I do not think that is very likely," he told the noble, more kindly than before.</p><p>"Of course not!" another drunkard declared. "For I shall be the first to claim my fair Lady's lips, and she will want for no other!"</p><p>One usually learnt by one's third trip to the slums, that a declaration like that rarely went unanswered. There was a momentary hush, and Blackgloves' polished shoes made their appearance from the top of the stairs leading to the casino. By the time the man had fully emerged, the tavern was filled with hushed whispers.</p><p>As he walked by the bar counter, Blackgloves swiped a notepad. "A betting pool is in order, I think." As he wrote, he announced, "Lady Ellenstein's first kiss."</p><p>"Lord Paul for Lord Paul, a hundred gold coins!" the bold noble asserted.</p><p>And the rest, as they say, was history.</p>
<hr/><p>"For what it's worth," the Regent offers, "you <em> did </em> become one of the most popular ladies before the half-year. Your growth has been impressive, Lady Ellenstein."</p><p>"That's the most ridiculous story I've ever heard. Is this what men get up to in their free time?"</p><p>"I'll have you know I was working at the time."</p><p>"At any rate, there aren't actually a whole hoard of eligible bachelors wanting my hand. In fact, since becoming Secretary many proposals have been rescinded. I think they're intimidated." Magda adds, jokingly, "I shall have to retire before I age past the marriageable age."</p><p>The Regent rubs his chin thoughtfully. "I don't think so. Your position as Secretary acts as a successful deterrent against suitors who aren't worth your time — men who care only about the pretty face or wish to take advantage and control of the Ellenstein family's noble status. Hmm… The younger Lady Bavlenka also took up a job here to escape a political marriage." He grins, and Magda knows what he wants before he even voices it. "Secretary, create a suitable position for Barbara."</p><p>"Is the Regent's Office to function as a sanctuary for all young ladies looking to escape an unsatisfactory marriage now?" she teases. "Three notable appointments so shortly after you take office — you'll be earning a very interesting reputation. Though I suppose you've always been known to be a ladies' man."</p><p>"You know it's not like that. I'll make it official that the Secretary did it." His grin widens, and Magda again gets the feeling that she knows what's coming. "You'll be earning a very interesting reputation, my brilliant Lady Saker. You couldn't possibly have more interest in young women than men? The illustrious Lady Ellenstein who has to date not been known to respond to a single male admirer's letter has a reputation for rejecting men on her female friends' behalf and, shortly after taking up her post as the Regent's Secretary, hires more girls than the Senate has seen since the beginning of Finsel. Think of all the hearts such a revelation would break!"</p><p>"This is an <em> office </em> ," Magda reiterates. "Not a—" <em> harem " </em>—whatever-you're-implying."</p><p>"But I'm right."</p><p>"No—"</p><p>"Is that why you were so eager to look at <em> The Collection of Finsel's Beauty </em> ? If I had known, my most stunning Secretary, I would have included you in the mailing list. Ah, but you would have to be removed from <em> The Collection </em>. One cannot have a copy and also be in it."</p><p>"I would prefer to have the book," she says immediately, because being featured in it is akin to having many stalkers. She does not need the entire city knowing her life story and every mistake she has ever made, thank you very much. Although the glamour is right up Gonzalo's alley. Speaking of whom, "Gonzalo doesn't have a copy, does he?"</p><p>The Regent's eyes widen. <em> Not this again </em> , his expression says. What he says, on the other hand, is, "No, I could not possibly remove you from <em> The Collection</em>. I'd lose all my readers, and this office will be stoned and flamed. It is a pity, but I'll make up for it by sharing Biggus' notes with you."</p><p>"You can make up for it by making me your editor; I'll have access to it without actually owning a copy."</p><p>"Deal," he agrees, surprisingly. Or decidedly less so, when it's followed by, "If you inform Blackgloves of your, ah, sexual orientation."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hihi this is my first Helix Waltz work, don't know if more are coming.</p><p>Anyway,<br/>1. I'm so fascinated by The Collection because we don't even know what that is? All we know is Juven writes it and Alminas is ranked #1 and Magda was included in it the year she debuted. For this fic I'm working with the assumption that it features portraits of the Beauties and (mildly disturbingly detailed) write-ups by Juven. And Barbara's not in it if only because that's too weird for him, and for all he teases her about courting he doesn't actually want perv's chasing her. (Poor girl though)</p><p>2. First name basis is apparently not a thing within Finsel's social circles but if they were I'd have made Magda reference Gonzalo by simply 'Gonzalo'. At certain points in the game he's implied to also have the title 'Viscount' but I don't think Magda herself has ever used it.</p><p>3. I wanted to bring up Ramus more but it's so weird that Gonzalo was referred to as Tilla's only son in some conversations. He didn't exist before season 2 and that's fine, but I'm lowkey considering a fic where Magda just goes "wtf nobody told me he has a brother and i'm like literal besties with gonzalo and tilla."</p><p>4. Magda's identity crisis from wondering if all her friends are really her friends (because she does canonically just reflect everyone to gain their approval) is also something worth writing a fix about hmmmmmmmmm</p><p>Why am I already considering writing more this feels like naming your kids before you get engaged I'll just sign off here</p><p>Thanks for reading ;)</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>